When knowledge becomes power
by soniassj2
Summary: English version of my first story, that follows the kick in the arse of the wizarding world challenge by Alrissa. Starts on Halloween 1981 with Hermione reacting differently to the bullying and isolation form her peers with the help of an unexpected ally that helps her stand up for herself and change her life and everyone else's forever. Ron bashing!. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

N/A: I don't own Harry potter. I only use the author's universe to create my own story. I'm going to follow Alrissa's kick in the arse challenge using Hermione Granger too. She has so much potential! This is my first story, and English is not my mother language, so please be patient!

Enjoy!

When Knowledge Becomes Power

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

October 31st, 1991

6:36 AM

Hermione Granger jumped out of her bed, startled. With an uneven breathing and erratic heartbeat, she closed her eyes to start soothing herself from her sudden wake. When she finally felt better, she couldn't help but be intrigued. Hermione knew she wasn't much of a dream person, so having nightmares was rare for her. In her eyes, the most confusing thing was what happened in the bad dream she just had. It was about her future and, while she wasn't able to recognize anyone in it, she didn't like what she managed to remember at all. She was forced to marry a man she didn't love and had children whose names she didn't even choose because her husband always took all the decisions away from her, and disregarded her opinions. She had a lame job where no one listened to her ideas because the society she lived in treated people like her like shit thanks to centuries and centuries of nonsensical prejudices. The worst part was when she suddenly found herself in the middle of a war which she helped to end with the hope of making the wizarding world a better, less biased place only to face the harsh reality. No one besides her allies recognized her efforts and thanks to that, the same society she put her life in danger for still treated like she was no more than a baby machine that had to be taken care of by a man, i.e. a husband. Just when she was going to lose control over her emotions, the final part of the dream began to form and, oddly enough, she was able to see clearly this time. She was in front of a woman that looked a bit like her, but had scars on her face and a muscular, well defined body that made her look beautiful and deadly at the same time. It was obvious the lady, no the warrior in front of her was someone you don't want to mess with. Hermione watched warily as the tall brunette trained eyes on her and said: _**"You can change all the things you just witnessed, if you discover where your roots lie and never forget where you come from. I'm going to send you a gift soon. I know you'll use it wisely, but don't stop studying and researching because of it. With time, knowledge becomes power"-**_

Once the warning was finished, the woman sheathed her heavy sword, a Claymore she had been carrying by her right side but Hermione hadn´t noticed until that moment. The warrior bowed to her, turned around and left at the time she began to wake up.

Hermione spent the rest of the morning pondering on the things the unkown lady had told her about in her nightmare. Although she knew that seeing the future is almost impossible, she had the feeling that what transpired in her mind was more than a simple bad dream, becuase the warning in itself made sense. She has no idea who the mayority of her blood relatives are or used to be, because many of them died in battles a long time ago. Her grandmother was the only survivor of her family. Judging from what she remembered form their talks in her self-defense lessons, she was nine back then and, in order to avenge her fallen loved ones and remember them, the woman who was now her mentor became a warrior herself.

When she was little and asked why she was trained all the time her mother always said that _**"living the warrior way was family tradition".**_ In her opinion, that was a stupid reason. after all, what chances do you have to be attacked when your paraniod parents don't let you live more than a year in the same place?. Besides, she was now living in Hogwarts, the safest place in the Isles because of its millenial protections and Albus Dumbledore, the only person the late Dark Lord ever feared as headmaster.

Spreading butter in a slice of bread, the little brunette reminiscenced her mother telling her about her great uncles and great grandparents, all of them soldiers that died before or during World War II. She felt dumb because she wasn't able to remember their last name until she also remembered that said last name was foriegn and difficult to pronunciate, even more so than her mother and grandfather's. She knows that asking her grandmum to write it for her isn't a good idea, because if she didn't end up traumatized as a kid in times of war, she sure did when her beloved husband died. If is there something she knows about Samuel Lamperouge is that the man was not a wimpy coward like most French are portrayed to be, at least by the muggles. After all, you can't deny that a man risking his life to distract terrorists long enough for his wife to escape carrying his very pregnant daughter, that then blows up the house and everything inside while he's still there with a hidden, minefield -like bomb to ensure the previously mentioned loved ones aten't followed is brave.

Hermione remembers the day she was told that story very well because that's when she decided never bring him up inconversation again, not for lack of interest but for the sake of the little family she still has. They always cry for him when they think she's asleep or not on the same room, so stop talking about her ancestors seemed a good idea at the time, especially when she found out how upset her mother bacame everytime she asked about any other relative of hers, including her biological father who, she discovered, was not Dr Granger at the tender age of six. Sure, Dan was a great guy, that loves her unconditionally and accepts her dispite her magic, but he wouldn't be able to help her figuring out what the woman on her dream tried to warned her about.

Her musing were suddenly interrupted by an owl landing in front of her with a little box in its beak. She took it, gave the owl a sausage and read the note attached to her small package. It read: _Open this when you are alone. To se the contents of the box just tap your wand twice on it. Consider it a delayed birthday present for you. Love, NVKL._

Hermione recognized the handwriting. A lleter when you least excpect it is typical of her, ataching said letters with wierd objects inside is another of her "normal" ways of ordering you around. She watched both sides before tucking the note and the box in her pocket and sighed in relief upon realising that no one notcied she had mail today. The last thing she needed was the staff questioning her if her box has something dangerous or not common for a twelve yera old girl to use.

By thew time the food on the plate was already on her belly, Granger put her doubts about her dream in the back of her mind, focusing on her classes of the day and how to get along with her classmates so they would stop teasing her looks and intelligence. **" Maybe if I start helping them more with their homework and classes, they would begin to accept me"** \- the little witch reasoned. She began to make her way to the Gryffindor Common Room with this thought in mind and knowing that it was too early to fetch her backpack, but deciding that going now was better than doing it in the last possible moment and arrive late like those idiots Potter and Weasley did the other day. Add the fact that she could use the extra hour to try and make conversation with the other early risers before the classes started, and you have a very determined lioness cub going after her goal of the day like a soldier on a mission.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A true Gryffindor?

7.16 am

She couldn't do it. She couldn't approach them without backing away at the last moment because her shyness always overcame her. - **"How brave of me. Why did that stupid hat put me here and not in Ravenclaw with the other brainiacs? Does it want to make my life complicated? "-** She thought frustrated, walking dejectedly to one of the tables of the Common Room. Deciding to give up when the place began to fill with students due to her hatred for places with lots of people, (except the Great Hall where the food distracts her), she went to retrieve her things from one of the many tables. **"The sooner I get out of here and away from all this noise, the better"-** thought Hermione with a frown. When she was just a few feet from her destination, various screams and shouts made her stop and turn around to be greeted with a scene that almost made her giggle like a stupid and undignified schoolgirl: A Goliath Tarantula was loose on the room, making the nearby students run or scream horrified, and Ron Weasley faint just when passing next to him. The brunette spent a few moments watching amused how "the house of the brave" was running away from a spider -none of them thinking of getting rid of it with their wands- until said spider rested on top of her backpack, reminding her that she still had a classroom to find her way to. She closed the distance between herself and the table, reaching to grab her schoolbag.

-Hermione! Don't go there! The spider will bite you! - Neville said terrified

-Don't worry Neville, it won't attack unless it feels threatened, and that'd only happen if I make sudden movements or loud noises, which I won't- the young witch replied while slowly putting the backpack strap over her shoulder where the spider moved to rest.

-B- But it could inject it's venom on you and kill you! - A scared second year girl told her.

-That's not true. While all tarantulas are venomous, only a few species are dangerous for us and not to the point of being fatal. There hasn't been any documented or verified case of human death by tarantula bite in the muggle world, because these spiders are reluctant biters and always choose to retreat instead of attack. This is a common muggle Golaith Tarantula, so in the rare case I got bitten, it will hurt like hell, but it's nothing Madame Pomfrey won't be a able to fix in an instant- Hermione lectured, advancing towards the exit of the common room and ignoring the shocked stares of the other kids. However, before she could head out, the fat lady's portrait door opened to admit two sniggering redheaded twins and a black boy with dreadlocks.

The little Gryffindor waited patiently for them to move out of the entrance or at least to stop laughing. When she realized that they weren't going to budge, she put herself in front of the three older students, and, a bit irritated, she said:

Can you please let me go trough? I'm in a bit of a hurry.

The three Gryffindors turned around to see who had interrupted them only to stare at the little girl and the spider that was now atop her head. They wondered if she knew about the tarantula and where it was perched and, staring between themselves, they realised they had the same thought: some amateur prankster threw the spider on the girl and was waiting for her to find out and freak out. Deciding to prove their theory, Fred ignored he arachnid and asked:

-Why the hurry Granger? We still have half an hour until classes start

-Because one, the classroom I'm heading to is in the other side of the castle and a couple of moving staircases away to boot. Two, I can barely remember where to go without getting lost so I'm leaving early because I don't know exactly how much time it'll take me to arrive there today. And three, I have to make sure that this guy here- she said pointing above her head- doesn't end up crushed by accident because the rest of the "house of the brave" is afraid of it so I will have to go outside before going to charms.

Hey! Cindy is not a wild tarantula! She's my pet!- hollered Lee

Hermione's brows shot up at that and thought- **"Cindy? What kind of poor sod would name a Goliath Tarantula like that? No, scratch that. What kind of poor sod would even think about naming a Goliath Tarantula?"**

-Then take it if it's yours- she retorted, rolling her eyes.

Lee paled and went closer to Hermione, glaring daggers at the twins who where laughing at him. Thinking that catching the elusive arachnid with his hands shaking would make Fred and George tease him even more, he said:

Would you please hand me Cindy yourself? I don't want to risk dropping her

Okay, have it your way- said Hermione tilting her head over her shoulder, prompting the spider to escape down her arm. When it reached her elbow, she bent her arm towards her front, preventing "Cindy" from going back to her schoolbag and forcing it to perch precariously on in her outstretched hand, where it barely fit.

-There. All yours

Lee removed a box out of his pocket, enlarged it with his wand and placed it in front of the first year's hand, which pushed it until it dropped inside the box.

-You should look after your pet better- Granger told Lee. The dreadlocked teen nodded stupidly, trying to comprehend how a 12 year old girl was so calm with a spider bigger than her fist using her body as a perch. He almost wetted his pants trying to put it in its box and the tarantula was _his!_

-Wicked! - said Fred and George at the same time

The brunette raised a brow at the twin's reaction. The fact that they're the only ones in the tower besides her with enough logic to not be afraid of "Cindy" seemed too bizarre for her. **"Maybe it's not logic. Maybe it's ignorance"** \- mused the little lioness while she crossed the fat lady's portrait. When she stepped out, the screaming began anew and she, curious as she was, looked over her shoulder to see what happened. She smiled sideways when she spotted "Cindy" hurrying away for the second time, to the rest of the student's horror.

" **Maybe the hat was right. If being in the same room as a Goliath Tarantula without panicking is brave, then maybe I do belong here"-** The brunette thought happily before heading to the class of the day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Revelations**

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

October 31st, 1991

16.04 pm

Hermione ran into the girl's bathroom, sobbing. She hated crying, but she was so sad that she wasn't able to control herself. She was so relieved the day she got her Hogwarts letter, so happy to know she wasn't some sort of freak and that there was more people like her out there. She thought things in Hogwarts would be different, that she would finally have friends and fit in. But she was wrong. If she wasn't ridiculed for her love of books or her appearance, she was only talked to when in need of help with homework or to prepare for exams. She was considering going back home, because at least there Dan, her mother (when she was home), her grandmother and her grandmother's Krav Maga students would be there to cheer her up and make her feel better.

Hell, she even had her neighbour Ivan to hang out with on the holidays!

Even in the midst of tears, Hermione's mind didn't stop its work and began looking for solutions to her current dilemma. She had come up with three options: 1, Stay and convince someone to be her friend in exchange of top grades in his/her homework. 2, Leave Hogwarts and let her grandmother drag her to Durmstrang where, now that she thought about it, she doubted the older woman's excuse of "knowing the Headmaster for years" would be enough to ensure a place there given her dubious lineage. And 3, go back to finish her last year of education at her boring muggle high school and pretend she never knew she was a witch. Hours passed and she was still sitting and crying her woes away in the corner, trying to decide her future until she felt the air around her heat up and little gushes of air dried her tear-stained face.

Confused, she looked up just in time to see how small rays made the air vibrate more and more until a small hole began to form and grow to the size of the bathroom's main door. The young witch stared transfixed the dark blue

hole floating in front of her until suddenly, a grave, potent, and somewhat familiar voice echoed trough the place yelling:

 _ **-¡EXPECTO PATRONUM!**_

When the voice died out, a bright white light began to make its way in the darkness of the void, charging forward as if advancing trough a tunnel. While it kept approaching, Hermione discovered the glow began to change until it went out of the hole in the shape of an enormous silvery cheetah. The majestic and resplendent animal began to roam the place and stopped a few feet in front of her. It was in that moment that the brunette realized that the being in front of her was holding something resembling a package in its jaws. The cheetah of lights crouched, left the package, bowed and disappeared with a great bang, making the atmosphere of the room normal again. Holding the package with extreme care, Hermione broke its seal and opened a letter that read:

 _ **Dear Jean Marie:**_

 _ **First of all I'll ask you not to freak out about what you are going to read and to see at least the first paragraph before you decide if you believe me or not. The information enclosed in the parchment you are holding is so important that it must be memorized and the evidence destroyed immediately.**_

 _ **Mi legal name, at least in the muggle world, is Hermione Jean Granger. Yep, you and me are the same person. Scared? You shouldn't be because, as you would in my place, I'll show you I'm telling the truth using logic. I'm sure you realized I addressed this letter using the name we found in the documents our mother was hiding below her bed when we were seven. Mother was so mad when she found us rummaging trough her things that she grounded us for three weeks and since then, you have never set foot in her room again. (I have)**_

Hermione stopped reading, shocked. She had never told anyone about that!

Ten minutes later, she was finally able to process the fact that her _future self_ was contacting her and that she just had ignored the theory of relativity and the laws of physics to do it. Curios to know what would be important enough to justify a travel trough time, she continued reading.

 _ **If you are still reading this then you believed me. Good for you! And for me too! The fact that this letter is in your hands means I am the first person ever to successfully send an object trough a time vortex and have it arrive at the desired destination. I had put a charm in the package that would only open to me the afternoon on October 31st, 1991. This charm is keyed to my magical core and would alert me if the package is opened.**_

 _ **I know that you have always wondered what those papers we found were and I have the answer to that. Those documents were ours. We were born with another name and our mother's surname, but she changed it shortly after to your current name and Dan's surname for protection and to avoid trouble. I won't tell you more about that, because I didn't write this to reveal everything you'll do in the future. The purpose of this letter is giving you some advice that will save you lots of emotional, physical and psychological pain as well as warning you of events that will ruin most of your life and cause the death of an uncountable number of innocents.**_

 _ **I will start with the advice:**_

 _ **1: DON'T LET YOURSELF BE BULLIED BY ANYONE!**_

 _ **You are an exceptionally smart girl, you should know that expecting respect from a lot of average kids is stupid. The only way to make them stop teasing you is facing them. Don't be afraid of standing up for yourself, you are twelve years old and the worse that can happen to you for fighting back bullies would be losing house points ( that you would gain back in a week at the most anyway), having to clean old dusty rooms, and being part of typical school rivalries. Trust me, compared with the shit you'll have to deal with in the coming years, this is a piece of cake considering you have advantages like knowledge from another world and physical prowess. The vast majority of wizard- raised folk does not exercise nor defend themselves with anything that is not a wand. As with everything, there are exceptions like some muggleborn or muggle-raised wizards and a handful of aurors (magical equivalent of police), but they're a very recognizable minority, not your enemies. If you show in Hogwarts what you're able to do you'll be respected and even have some kids trying to get along better with you and befriend you for protection. Don't turn them down, there are kids in that castle that are going trough the same or worse than you and need someone to help them fight for their dreams and think for themselves. I'm sure you'll be able to differentiate between people that deserve your kindness and those who will try to use you.**_

 _ **2: STOP BELIEVEING EVERYTHING THE BOOKS AND AUTHORITY FIGURES TELL YOU: Every important and politically powerful witch and wizard in Great Britain has their own agenda, Albus Dumbledore included. He believes everyone deserves a second chance and thanks to that way of thinking lots of death eaters that were caught and imprisoned in your time's last war are free in your present. Only those who were caught red handed stayed in Azkaban and because of that Voldemort (Yes, the sick bastard is alive in 1991) will easily rise to power again. Dumbledore knew all along that Voldemort was weak instead of dead, yet that didn't stop him form releasing his followers and everything for what? To fulfil his stupid ideal of "the greater good". He is a fine example of how the rich minority of wizarding Britain behaves while the rest of the community except a few are little more than sheep following the political and moral standards of the power they choose or are forced and manipulated to choose. A bit like the muggle world, but with less freedom of speech and protests. I know it's hard to believe how alike wizards and muggles behave when it comes to wealth and politics, hard to acknowledge the fact that the ones who should have the best interest of everyone at heart have their dark side, but sadly it is true. If you find difficulty in accepting this, you can talk to our mother or grandmother about this, because they've faced worse treatment than yours by the parents and grandparents of your tormentors just because they're squibs and, just like you are doing now, defied what "society" says squibs can and cannot do. This bit of information may sound weird to you, because you don't even know what a squib is, but you'll thank me the day you figure this out. This leads you to the next advice.**_

 _ **3: STUDY MAGICAL LAW, MAGICAL CUSTOMS AND MUGGLE SCIENCES: Trust me, you will save you years of trouble, discussion and fights if you learn these things. There are lots of things that muggleborns are not taught that those raised with magic take for granted and some of them use this ignorance to their advantage. I suggest you study ancient magical history and traditions; it is fascinating and useful when you need to comprehend a pureblood's behaviour. Something you must be warned about: ancient magical history is related to the dark arts, the infamous "evil magic" muggles always talk about is very real and I am afraid you'll have to learn everything about them if you plan to make it to adulthood. I am not going to lie to you claiming that studying this branch of the magical arts is easy when it actually is horrible and disgusting, but it is necessary.**_

 _ **It is vital to be aware of the resources dark wizards and witches have access to and what kind of tricks they would be able to pull from their sleeves if you want to defeat those who seek to harm you because they too benefit from their victims ignorance to get their way. If I had known about certain laws and customs while in Hogwarts that I learnt being and adult, this letter wouldn't be this long or it wouldn't exist in the first place. Learning sciences and muggle technology will help you discover interesting facts like, for example, that conjuration does not exist: When you create a napkin out of nowhere you are actually transforming air particles into cloth. This process is called transmutation and is taught in alchemy, an elective subject taught in Hogwarts and Beauxbatons.**_

 _ **If you choose to follow my advice, you are going to use lots of books from the restricted section of the library, but you'll have to order some from Fluorish and Blotts and even from nondescript places in Knockturn Alley. There is a grey scroll with a list of everything you'll need in the package. You can keep it with you all times because I charmed the ink to look like herbology homework to everybody else. I also sent the most valuable and ancient object I could find to help you with expenses because many of the books on the list are so old and rare that it might take you a while and a small fortune to buy them. All you have to do is sent the object to Gringotts via school owl and state in a letter your intentions to sell, have the money put in a private vault and request that money withdrawals will only be made via owl during the school year. Don't worry, Goblins never steal and can keep your economical secrets safe for the right price. If they offer "extra-services" and you can afford them, accept them. God knows you'll need all the help you and money you can get only to get rid of the dark wanker.**_

 _ **4: DO NOT IGNORE YOUR WISHES AND EMOTIONS; DO NOT HIDE YOUR TRUE SELF: There is a difference between being able to control your emotions and simply pretend they're not there. You know what I'm talking about: that primal side of yours that always wants to act instinctively. You have to stop ignoring it, you have to befriend it. Seriously. This can be the difference between life or death. Remember when that stupid thief wanted tried to attack us in our way to school?**_

 _ **We were so afraid and desperate that, without thinking, we beat the idiot with the first thing we had within arms reach, which was a big wooden table of a lemonade post. If I recall correctly, that table doubled our size and weight. We wondered how we did it for a while afterwards, but never came up with something feasible. It was our primal side. Even tough it is not easy to reason with it (you can), it is powerful. At least half of ours bouts of accidental magic were provoked by this part of us that took control when we were too emotional to think. This "wild side" bears all your hidden potential, so the better your relationship with it, the easier will be for you to access your magic and energy and the higher the percentage of that energy you will be able to manipulate. Getting along with your primal side is something you must begin as soon as you can. The reason? You're in the beginning stages of puberty: everything from your body to your mind and soul will change and grow and that includes that "other" you. It will be able to take control of the body you share by force when your guard is down. It took me decades to have a somewhat normal life alongside this part of me, and only managed to truly be happy with myself when I accepted the fact that my primal side was always going to be there and that it deserved to be treated as an equal, not as a pet or a nuisance. This ability, along with others that you'll discover when the right time comes, are inherited and kept secret or thought extinct. It is in your best interest to keep it that way, because your budding power is the reason why many people of power will want to use you as a weapon with or without your consent for their own selfish reasons. Why do you think the "employees" of the Brotherhood decided to follow their own paths and not affiliate themselves with any government after rebelling against their own "creators" not so long ago?**_

 _ **As you know, this fighters and their heirs only go out in public to keep the Youma and other monsters away, and, as one of them, you should follow their example. Train without pause and choose when to show the world how great and powerful you are!**_

 _ **5: DON'T SHOW MERCY TO THOSE THAT DON'T DESERVE IT:**_

 _ **Feeling mercy and pity is normal and one of the reasons why you are a human being. But some people don't deserve it. People who killed and tortured for their own sick pleasure or for wrong beliefs don't need you to be compassionate, because if you forgive them, they'll only go and hurt more innocents again.**_

 _ **The exceptions are almost nil and it took me more than I'd like to admit to gain the ability of discern between those who change sides to save their necks and the few that really want to redeem themselves, so I took the liberty of sending you a gift in the package, it will help you with that and a couple other things too. Please don't open it until you finish reading this letter. This last bit of advice is something that you can apply not only in life threatening situations, but in everyday life too. There are some people that I forgave one too many times only to end up disappointed time and again.**_

 _ **Now that you know what to expect from witches and wizards in general, it is time I tell you about the events you don't have, you MUST avoid at all costs. You also**_

 _ **need to know there are some things you won't be able to change and that includes, sadly, a war. It will begin here in the isles and expand to the entire continent, with mass murders starting probably by the time you sit your O.W.L's or N.E.W.T.'s . The war in itself is necessary to stop Voldemort and his band of brainless idiots once and for all. "The nightmares" you had this morning, are projections of the things I went trough in the war and its consequences.**_

 _ **Whether you decide to keep studying at Hogwarts, transfer to Durmstrang or go back to the muggle world and pretend magic doesn't exist you have to come to terms with the fact that you'll always be in danger. People will want to harm you because you defy what they think muggleborns can and cannot do or because you are our mother's daughter. She and our grandmother made lots of influential enemies (Wizards, muggles and other things alike) because, just like us, they can't stand injustice and feel the need to help and care for the oppressed and ignored. I must stress again that you need to train yourself physically, magically and mentally using methods of both worlds. Like using martial arts and transfiguration at the same time, there are plenty of things you can mix or use in tandem either to attack or defend. Another important thing you'll need are allies that trust you enough not to betray you, if you make some friends this term, they'll end up being like a family before you realize it. Now that you know the reasons for my warnings, let's begin with the things you should change.**_

 _ **The first event, If my calculations were correct (and they always are), will take place an hour from the moment you are reading this part and is the reason why I sent this package to this moment of our life. A troll has been lured into the castle and it's heading to your location. Everyone else is celebrating the Halloween and they'll know about the Troll by the time it reaches your location. Potter will be the one to remember where you are and he'll drag Weasley with him to warn you. They'll end up rescuing you and knocking the Troll out with it's club using a levitation charm. THAT IS PRECISELY THE THING YOU HAVE TO AVOID. In saving you, a magical phenomenon called life debt will be activated automatically. Life debts make the indebted person feel the urge to always help and care for their saviour until such debt is paid with a favour magic itself considers so great that it can be compared to the one that saved your life. From the moment I was rescued I always felt the overwhelming need to solve all of Potter's and Weasley's problems including – horror of horrors!- their homework. There are only two known ways of getting a favour great enough to cancel the debt, and to accomplish this feat, you'll have to fulfil some requirements.**_

 _ **A way to break the debt would be saving their lives, something I did several times before and during the war without successfully cancelling anything. The reason? I had no idea of the mess I was in and my encounter with the Troll was so traumatic that I never talked about it since that night. When the professors arrived and saw the unconscious troll, they asked what happened. Potter said he wanted to warn me about the danger and ended up rescuing me, Weasley said nothing coherent (but bragged about everything later) and I said that I went to confront the troll because I though I was able to handle it alone and that I was alive thanks to those two idiots.**_

 _ **Confessing that I was saved sealed the debt, because acknowledging the fact from both parties helps the magic work. Like a spell, you have to say the right words to produce a certain thing.**_

 _ **When I found out about what I had unknowingly put myself into, it was too late to end the debt using the method I mentioned earlier because Voldemort was long gone and everything was peaceful again, or so I though at that time. I had to use the only other way: marry Ronald Weasley (Potter had a wife then).**_

 _ **I didn't like it at all, not because he was evil or something among those lines, the guys is just too thick and immature to stand for long periods of time. The good thing of marrying him was that with no debt, I was suddenly able to take the liberty of beating him to a bloody pulp every time he disrespected me or did something stupid, the bad thing is that I truly started rebelling against his shit when I was 50 because growing up with him belittling me and putting me down made me doubt myself all the time. I had spent years in an unhappy marriage thanks to the egoistical bastard, who could have told me about the debt in time (this is common knowledge for pureblood wizards after all), or at least have the decency of not calling me a bad wife just because I refused to become his mother, a woman that was happy being a baby machine with no individual goals that rarely left her home. The day I found out how to left him was happy, very happy indeed.**_

 _ **I wasn't able to repay the debt my debt to Potter until I was in my sixties, not and old age for a witch and at least him I really get along with. It was cool saving his arse that last time and all the others as well because while I may have helped him with reluctance at the beginning, it soon became obvious that he really needed someone to be there for him. You just pay attention to the way he dresses and acts outside of class and you'll see what I mean. He is a good guy, too noble to take advantage of others and no, he didn't even know what a life debt was until I explained it to him. He was so distraught about everything, felt so guilty and angry with himself that I had to basically shag him senseless to make him understand that nothing of what happened was his fault. Despite his big heart and great skills in bed, Harry has a horrible habit of getting into trouble or ending up in more trouble because he is impulsive when angry. I admit I don't regret becoming Harry's friend, it was funny just go and stop him from killing himself in our youth and early adulthood, but it just got old over the years.**_

 _ **People change with time, usually when they age and there will always come the time where you'll want to get settled and live peacefully starting a family.**_

 _ **Speaking of changes, Malfoy will change. It took him many years, the loss of some relatives and lots of beatings courtesy of yours truly but I was finally able to forgive him and let me tell you, it was worth it. Especially at the beginning when Weasley wasn't at home and I got bored of playing with Harry. While he know how to keep me interested under the sheets, I never truly considered Draco to be my friend. He is more like an independent pet that visits when in need of shelter and food than a concubine or lover.**_

 _ **As he is still a git in your time, feel free of giving him hell whenever he deserves it. You have to be careful though, because the spoiled brat is a coward that'll no doubt ask his horrible father for help. Lucius Malfoy is a racist, misogynist Death Eater that'll not doubt bribe his way into the ministry to make your life hell. The only reason he hasn't gotten you expelled already is his own father. Abraxas Malfoy would never let anyone expel you without good reason, because he was dear old grampa Samuel's best friend. It never ceases to amaze me what a war can do to people, but apparently, World War II, known to wizard kind as "the Grindelwald Wars" made a Malfoy get along rather well with a simple Muggle.**_

 _ **If Lucius becomes a nuisance or you simply want to stop him from spewing pureblood nonsense, you have to make sure to have good allies at the Ministry and Hogwarts to put the attention in someone else and cover you. You'll have to follow point 1 for that.**_

 _ **To escape the Troll, you have to avoid its attacks. Trolls are very slow, but very resistant too, so you'll have to hit full force before you start to get tired or you'll be in deep shit. You can blow the Troll's head away with a**_ **reducto though you'll end up covered in blood and gore. You have a diagram with the wand movements in the grey sheet to memorize, but use it only as a last resort. Dumbledore will ask many questions you won't know how to answer if he finds out you performed a fifth year level curse. You'll have to be extra careful around him because the bastard can read your mind and sort trough your memories (legilimency), so you MUST learn how to block his probing (Occlumency). Voldemort and Snape are also masters in this art, that takes years to perfect. You'll have to avoid their eye contact until such a time you are able to organize your mind enough to create strong barriers.**

 _ **Going back to your immediate future, you can use our grandmother's gift to get rid pf the Troll. I always suspected she was some sort of seer, because her presents, weird as they were, ended up being very useful merely hours later of receiving them and this time is no exception. Such a shame I remembered the box the next day. If I had opened the present in the bathroom I would have never been stuck in that stupid life debt.**_

 _ **Another event I suggest to avoid is the wizard's duel Malfoy will dare Potter to attend. No, scratch that and simply avoid any kind of fight, duel or promise if those involved do not swear with their life and/or magic they'll fight without cheating. That way, they won't be able to break their promise.**_

 _ **I'm sure you'll go to the Ministry of Magic many times in the future, so whenever you have the chance to be in the Department of Mysteries, please go and destroy the white veil that is located in one of that department's rooms (I don't remember which exactly anymore, sorry) That thing is terribly cursed and should have never been created.**_

 _ **The last event I advise you to change, or at least consider to change is the emergence of your friendship with Potter and Weasley. It is one of those things that are impossible to avoid from happening, so there's no way out of that. After all, who would help killing a mountain troll and avoid certain death without considering those that fought at your side allies at the end of the ordeal?**_

 _ **I want you to remember that you can always decide what to do after the kind of events I just described happen.**_

 _ **If you befriend Potter, you will end up in many dangerous situations and gain more enemies than you already have. Yes, you have enemies, look for the definition of blood purism in the library and you'll understand.**_

 _ **Back on the Harry topic, Voldemort will try to kill him constantly, either in wraith form, as a parasite in someone, or with a body of his own, the wanker is really a threat, so please DON'T UNDERESTIMATE HIS HABILITY if you happen to face him one day. I'm sure you are asking yourself now, will befriend Potter really be worth the trouble? The answer is yes!**_

 _ **Simply put, Harry is a good guy with lots of bad luck, but he also is one of the few people you can trust your life to without fear of betrayal and the same applies to Neville Longbottom. However if you wish to have a somewhat normal educational experience at Hogwarts I strongly advise not get involved with the boy-who-lived, the poor kid has more issues than us.**_

 _ **Ronald Weasley is nothing more than a poor idiot with the emotional range of a teaspoon and mild jealousy issues. Being raised with so many older brothers, all rather brilliant and successful in something, made him (unconsciously of course) see every person he meets as rivals in a competition in which only the best gets the glory and acceptance of the rest. This worrisome behaviour will often make him envious of you because of your outstanding grades and of Harry for his fame and "hero status". If you decided you want Potter as your friend, keep in mind you'll have to put up with Weasley's presence. Fortunately, in spite of what most believe, his stupidity has a cure: if he belittles you or doesn't want to take you seriously, just beat him up, hex him or make him look like the fool he is with a convincing argument.**_

 _ **If you would rather go for a less violent method, then just go and stuff food in his mouth and he'll calm down instantly, especially if you use sweets. With time he will be able to tell when he is putting his feet in his mouth and avoid most arguments with you and will even trust you, but if things go as they were in my time, he'll never really stop being an idiot.**_

 _ **Despite his flaws Ron is not a bad guy, he just isn't our type and unlike him, his brothers and sister actually know how to use their brains, so hanging out with him would be a good way of making new friends and allies.**_

 _ **You'll meet Ginevra Weasley and Luna Lovegood thanks to him and if not for them and the twins I would have "gone dark and crazy enough to give Voldemort a run for his money and resentful enough to unleash my wrath on the stupid, corrupt, misogynistic politicians that used to rule magical Britain before The Herd decided to**_ __ **play mediator** _ **with its own politics and legal proceedings.**_

 _ **Well, I think that's all I needed to tell you mini-me. There are many things I didn't write about because they're either irrelevant on the long run or must happen again. Remember that no matter what, you must always fight for your dreams and choose what is right over what is easy. Despite all the shit I had to put up with for the first half of my life, I still managed to accomplish cool things, like creating a vest able to counteract the effects of the Imperious cruse. No one except the user can take it off once put and it lasts up to three years. What better example than yourself to keep holding on eh? It doesn't matter how difficult or impossible a task seems, there's always a way to make things work, and you have the power to accomplish whatever you set your mind on girl.**_

 _ **Best wishes and good luck!**_

 _ **Cinderella Jean**_

 _ **Supreme Fire Warrior**_

 _ **Leader of "The Herd" (Third Generation)**_

 _ **Chief Witch of the International Confederation of Magical Beings**_

 _ **Formerly Hermione Jean Weasley nee Granger**_

 _ **PS: There is an envelope in the package that has the list and a bottle with a potion I invented not long ago (for me). It's name is the awareness unlocker potion an it is designed to enhance the senses, increases learning speed and improves the ability to know when someone is lying or has ill intent. All you have to do is spot the person you distrust and focus on him/her. There is a side effect though. In order to enhance your senses, the potion will have to stir the your wild side's awareness of the body you share first, so don't be surprised if you are suddenly able to hear it more and more often.**_

 _ **PPS: Enjoy all the time you have with our family. You know how dangerous our mum's and nana Victoria's assignments can be and that it is a matter of time before they kill themselves or elope, so cherish their company and Dan's as much as you can.**_

 _ **PPS: I know you're dying to know if I discovered who our father is. I did, but can not tell you his identity. Many important things happened because while I was looking for him. Finding out about him will surprise and confuse you a lot, but with time, you'll be able to forgive his past mistakes and have a decent relationship with him. If you feel sad about him, or just want to forget your problems for a little while, then music will be you ally.**_

 _ **Never give up without a fight.**_

Hermione read and re-read the parchment until she was sure everything written in it, word for word. Once finished this task, she took her wand and set the parchment on fire without thinking twice. Her mind was a mess. On one hand, she was sure the letter was made by a future version of herself because there was no way in hell someone would even think that Dan Granger wasn't her real father. They are so alike physically that she wouldn't trust the letter she just read if she hadn't accidentally heard the truth from Dan himself. And with her mother being paranoid enough to keep her real father's name a secret from her the possibility of someone knowing the truth is nil.

On the other hand, she was having a hard time believing many things she dreamt and read about despite the fact that the events of the nightmare and those written on the letter were the same. The witch closed her eyes, trying to not loose her composure and rationalize everything she just learned, but it was to no avail. She couldn't help but remember one thing, something that disturbed her so much that she found herself furiously thinking:

" **I can take being bullied for my brains in Hogwarts too, I can accept the fact that I am freak even for magical standards and I can even put up with being in the middle of a war led by a megalomaniac, arrogant mass murderer.**

 **BUT THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I WILL AGREE TO MARRY THAT HALF-WITTED MORON RONALD WEASLEY! I DON'T CARE IF I LATER CHEAT ON HIM WITH POTTER, MALFOY, HIS BROTHER AND HALF WIZARDING BRITAIN, I WILL NEVER BE HIS WIFE! TIME-SPACE LAWS BE DAMNED!-**

Amidst her mental rant, Hermione began to feel how her wrath clawed and burnt her chest like a raging dragon, extending its hot fury throughout her body in an attempt to be set free. The brunette took deep breaths and counted to ten, calming herself enough to dissipate her negative feelings almost completely.

Knowing that being mad wouldn't be wise at that moment, she spent the next hour following the instructions she was given. Even when in doubt Hermione was a cautious person and because of that, she began to pull out all the items from the package, all the while trying to ignore the pressure she felt from knowing that her actions that day and their outcome will change her life forever.

A/N: I apologize for taking so long to update. I haven't had time for myself recently! But I promise that after I publish the fight with the Troll, that will be the next two chapters, I will start to publish shorter chapters at least twice a week. Please keep on reviewing, sharing and place my story in your favorite. You are my inspiration!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:** **Qualified** **to fight**

 _19.22_

In Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, chaos reigned. News of a greatly powerful and mean Mountain Troll lurking on the dungeons of the castle were just given, causing a wave of panic amongst the students, whom were frantic not only for the knowledge of the nearby presence of such a beast but for the fact that Quirinus Quirrel, DADA teacher and "professional expert" whose job is to get rid of the threat, fainted when he finished telling everyone about the monster.

Even in the midst of massive Hysteria, Dumbledore was able to calm everyone down enough to have the Head Boy, Head Girl and Prefects escort the rest of the student body to their respective common rooms by the time he and the teachers formed a search party for the intruder. Such was the haste of all to go, that no one noticed that Quirrel was still sprawled in the floor, not even the kids, whom stepped on him in their desperation to put themselves out of harm's way. Had anyone stayed to help, this person would have freaked out with the sight of the man crying pathetically and apologising over and over again with his hand touching the back of his head while a strange, almost imperceptible voice whispered obscenities and death threats.

Once out of the Great Hall, students began to spread to their respective common rooms, until one of the first years suddenly stopped, as if remembering something. One of his classmates came to a halt besides him, took him by the arm and said:

-Hurry up Harry! We'll be left behind if we don't move!

Harry yanked his arm from the other boy, exasperated

Ron we can't go back yet! Hermione is still in the bathroom and no one warned her about the troll!

The ginger blanched at the news and, seeing that Harry would not go back to the common room and that they had already been left behind, decided to take another course of action

\- Well then let's go find Percy, he went with the Head Boy in the way of the girl's bathroom- said Weasley, resigned to his fate

-Ok lead the way then- was the answer of the black haired boy, following his friend down the moving staircases.

They ran for several minutes without finding traces of the prefect, until a foul stench made them stop in their tracks. Before they could hold their noses and pinpoint where the smell came from, they where alerted of its location by the sound of things breaking and someone grunting with a voice so deep and intimidating that paralyzed them with fear. After a few seconds in which neither moved a muscle, Harry snapped out of his stupor and started running toward a broken door from which the noise seemed to be originating from until he was stopped by strong arms that held him from behind.

-Ron! The girl's bathroom is nearby! We have to go there!- cried the dark haired boy while trying to wriggle out of his friend's grasp.

-Are you mental Harry? If that thing sees us it will kill us! - Weasley replied, incredulous

\- But what about Hermione? She's still in the bathroom and we need to warn her!

-And why are we going to do that? There is no way we can go past the troll without it hearing us because his kind has very sensitive ears! Besides, we don't even know if Hermione really is in that bathroom or just made the other girls tell us that she was crying there to make us look bad!- shot back Ron, his face red from anger.

-Hermione is too much of a bookworm to skip class and dinner for something like that Ron. Besides, everyone in our year _including_ Hermione still have trouble to be in class on time without getting lost. I bet that's why she wakes up before everyone else! Where else can the girl be? - was the black haired boy's angry reply.

The redhead opened and closed his mouth several times, not knowing what to say. They just stood there, looking at each other's eyes, as if trying to convince the other party in how to proceed until the troll's mighty roar and the sound of a wall crumbling reverberated trough the entire hall made the decision for them. Both first years ran as fast as they could toward the bathroom mentally preparing themselves for any situation they could find. Any situation except the one they found once in the room

 _ **Girl's**_ __ _ **Bathroom**_ __

 _ **19.01 PM**_

Hermione finally managed to extricate herself from the floor and made her way to the stalls. All those hours crying, reading and admiring her new "presents" left her a bit hungry and in the mood of using the room for its real purposes. She was beginning feel tired and knowing what she had to face but not having idea of what to do with her grandmother's "gift", the item that was supposed to make things easier for her, didn't raise her spirits much. The brunette vowed to herself that if she made it out of the mess she was in alive she would give the woman a piece of her mind.

" **Honestly, of all the things she could have sent me for my birthday, why did she think the statue of a Greek goddess my size was a good idea? Was** **my** **future** **self wrong with the gift** **advice** **?** **Did she deliberately omit telling me what our grandma sent because she knew her letter would alter some things in my time frame if it was successfully sent?-** this thoughts and others crossed the little witch's mind while she steeped out of the stall and went toward her things.

Once there, the brunette took the –now empty- jar of sharpening potion and stuffed the grey sheet in it, sealed the top and hid it in the inner pocket of her robes. She then proceeded to take the little eagle made of gold and diamonds that came with the potion and put it in its box, that shrunk automatically for the girl to secure it in her other pocket. Just when she was approaching the Greek goddess statue a disgusting stench assaulted her nose so suddenly she almost threw up her breakfast right there.

After a few moments, her body recovered almost completely from the unexpected attack and the young witch was finally able to tear her gaze from the floor, she froze with fear when she realized that before her, just a couple feet away an enormous, robust and barely clothed Troll covered with stone and rubble – It had entered the room breaking the wall- was staring down at her.

Neither girl nor beast moved for a moment until the troll, curious of the strange creature in front of him, decided to use his club on it to see the how it reacted.

Hermione, seeing the club approach in slow motion, waited until the last moment to jump out of the wooden weapon's reach. Realizing she couldn't afford to lose energy running in what she was sure would be a long fight, she began to avoid the blows her enemy delivered by jumping to the sides and rolling on the floor just before the club reached her. After minutes of keeping the same tactic to stay out of the way, Hermione found herself cornered and seeing she had no other choice, she pulled out her wand and shouted:

-Protego!

A transparent energy shield appeared before the girl just in time for the club to crash against. The Troll, frustrated, began to hit the barrier more fiercely, getting angrier and angrier every time the shield cracked with a blow only to be replaced with another seconds later.

While casting, Hermione noted that her shields disappeared after the third or fourth consecutive blow, that the impact of said blows were so powerful they made the troll's arm bounce back and the club hit the great pillar behind them, leaving more and more cracks with each failed attempt to kill her and that both the force of impact and damage done were higher when a shield was formed just before the club reached her.

This interaction between physical strength and magical power gave her an idea that would free her from the beast if done correctly and would at least give her some precious seconds to run away if the plan backfired. **"This is risky and can get me badly injured in the worst case scenario but al least I'm sure I won't end up dead or owing my life to someone else"** the little witch reasoned before taking a deep breath and casting another shield that was willed to disappear just when the club's first hit rebounded .To the girl's delight, the resulting impact against the pillar was strong enough to send flying little pieces of masonry everywhere.

After repeating her strategy a couple more times, the giant column began to give way and soon it was a couple of hits away from collapsing , or it would have collapsed if a boy hadn't stopped the fight:

_ Hermione! You must go to the common room with us now! We were told that a troll was set… loose- shouted Harry entering the room, the words dying in his mouth as he watched his classmate cast a shield to fend off the monster.

Ron crashed against his friend, who had instantly stopped running when he spotted the chestnut haired girl hold her own without help. The boys fell to the floor and the ginger in the room began to stand asking:

-Harry! Why the hell did you sto-

The boy wasn't able to finish the sentence, for he too was left speechless with amazement and the realization that not only Hermione was in the girl's bathroom, but that she was fighting with the troll and _was winning!_

The troll -who was until that moment staring confused between the girl it was trying to smash and the newcomers- understood it now had in its reach more, possibly easier to hunt prey and went to attack the boys, who were so scared they seemed to be unable to react to the threat looming over them.

The troll was glancing stupidly from the girl it was trying to smash and the new comers, until it understood that now there was more, possibly easier to hunt prey and ran toward the boys, who were too shocked with fear to escape.

Noticing her classmate's state, Hermione did the first thing that crossed her mind in that moment: she took a deep breath and, praying to God her hastily made plan worked, she screamed with the shrillest voice she could manage:

-MOVE OUT OF THE WAY YO IDIOTS!

Her tone of voice was shrill enough to get the Troll's attention, which clutched its ear with its free hand and charged towards her again without realising that was exactly what the witch wanted. The little brunette ran until she ended up in front of the sinks, turned to face the Troll, and threw herself to the floor with a mighty jump, successfully avoiding the blow she knew the beast was going to throw in her direction.

Just when she landed, the sound of stone breaking and water flowing confirmed her prediction: the troll was too slow to follow her sudden movement and ended up destroying one of the sinks, from which an enormous jet of water sprouted forth and hit Hermione's intended target full in the face.

The Gryffindor sighed in relief when she saw the Troll forgot about her and was now trying to stop the jet of water only to stare horror when the Troll turned and she spotted a flaw in her plan. The moment she saw how scared her classmates were, she discarded team work as an option to get rid of the beast and thought that a distraction would be the only thing she could use if she wanted the three of them to escape that bathroom with their lives.

Imagine her surprise upon realizing that not only was Harry Potter able to get out of his stupor and follow the Troll to try to help; he even jumped to the monster's back just before she jumped away in a desperate attempt to save her!

The little lioness stood there, trying to find a way to take the black haired boy from the Troll's back while the beast was shaking the water-that ran out- and the kid off of its body until a stone connected with the beast's arm. Humans and Troll looked the way the stone came from, only to see more were heading towards the monster.

Ron began to flee form the enraged giant when it headed his way. Hermione followed her attacker in hopes of being able to guide Harry to the ground with a levitation charm, but the beast's long legs and hurried steps made it harder for her to get close enough to have a clear shot.

Ron ended up in front of the wall opposite from the exit when he turned to go back the Troll was already almost behind him. He was barely able to jump toward the closest corner and avoid the first hit, only to realize he was now between two walls and didn't have space to escape.

While this happened, Hermione tried to levitate Harry to safety again but stopped upon discovering the Troll stopped because it had trapped Ron and the boy was about to be attacked.

While the redhead avoided the monster's club, the witch tried to think a good way to intervene, but nothing seemed safe enough: it would be impossible for her to cast a shield charm strong enough to withstand the troll's strength without hurting Weasley at some degree. Brilliant mind or not, she was still a first year and that limited the extent of her magical ability.

The brunette began looking everywhere for something that would help her stall the beast until she spotted the debris of the pillar the Troll was hitting before and, almost without thinking, went running to the place she was crying hours ago, picked the pebbles up and threw them to the thing's back, just below Potter's bum.

The black haired boy noted how the stones hit home but didn't get the monster's attention so he got closer to the Troll's face and took his wand of his pocket with the intention of sticking it in its eye, but ended up stuffing the long stick up its nose.

That got the desired effect and made the beast stop the attack on the redhead to try and shake Harry off its shoulders again but the kid held on so hard the monster only succeeded in making the diminutive wizard take his wand out of its nostril, full of snot.

The enraged beast decided the ginger human still was easier to hunt so it went towards the boy but turned around in the last moment, pressing its back against the wall, immobilizing Harry. With a speed that contradicted its great bulk, the Troll turned its head and the arm that had the club in the direction of Weasley, wanting to strike again.

-Ron, duck! - a feminine voice warned.

Driven by adrenaline and fear, Hermione threw the first thing she had within her reach towards the space between boy and beast the moment she saw the Troll moving to attack her classmate again.

Her eyes grew comically upon realizing that, in her desperation, she had thrown the statue her grandmother had given her as a present, an objet that was her size and at had least three times her weight!

When the marble Greek Goddess struck the descending arm of the Troll, it broke into a thousand pieces, among which a large and heavy sword came out and fell right in front of a terrified Ron, who was fortunate enough to dive in the right moment and avoid injury.

The Troll wasn't so lucky and ended up with a bruised arm and its club on the floor.

The monster stared confused between its injured limb and the shocked girl that was still staring at the sword. It took a few moments for the beast to process and comprehend what had happened and, when everything finally clicked, its face became purple with rage. With an almighty roar, the monster jumped towards Hermione, taking the three wizards by surprise. It landed right in front of the girl and kicked her in a swift and fast movement that sent her flying toward the stalls where she broke through the wooden door, crashed against the wall and fell to the floor, spitting

blood.

-HERMIONE!- cried the horrified boys

Their noisy voices affected the monster's ears and confused it. Enraged and dazed, the beast began to smash the stalls adjacent to Hermione's until the sound of someone struggling and cursing perked its attention again and. What it saw made it flex his knees to gain impulse again: Ron was trying and failing to pull out the sword from the ground, making his lack of success and patience known by muttering profanities. Only Harry's quick decision to stick his wand in the troll's eye and hitting his mark in the attempt prevented the foul creature from jumping toward the imprudent redhead.

-GRAHHHH!- howled the Troll, covering his injured eye and charging toward the sinks

-Ron! Knock him out with the club!

The other boy whipped out his wand, pointed it to the club and in a strong and clear voice, he intoned:

-Wingardium Leviosa

While her classmates were fighting with the Troll, Hermione was fighting to stay conscious.

" **I can't… faint now… I have to... keep on fighting..''**

After a few moments, the little witch was finally able to sit, touching her head with a hand to stop the pain of moving so brusquely. Once the headache began to fade, the girl summoned her strength and stood up slowly, breathing deeply with her nose and mouth to alleviate the dizziness that expanded through her entire body. Just when she began to feel better, a loud roar put her on alert again, adrenaline running through her veins as she made her towards the now destroyed wooden door thanks to her fright.

The sight that greeted her once she reached the stall's entrance almost made her heart stop: Potter, who was still sitting on the monster's shoulders, gripping an ear with one hand and using the other to stab his wand in the troll's eyes whenever it tried to go towards Weasley, who was slowly levitating the beast's club with great difficulty, gripping his wand tightly with both hands to guide the large object in the right direction.

Time came to a halt for Hermione. Many emotions started to stir inside her: fear, denial, pain, sorrow and finally, rage. The same fury she felt hours ago came back full force, running trough her veins like liquid fire that filled her body without stopping this time, not that the girl was planning to. She felt like nothing mattered anymore because her only consolation had always been that her future would be better, that as a grown up she wouldn't have to put up with anyone's abuse anymore.

Realizing that was not going to happen, that she was doomed to be mistreated and misunderstood for the rest of her life, that she had failed in her only chance to change everything and the fact that her horrible destiny was mockingly projecting itself in front of her eyes was too much for the young witch to handle. So, she lost control.

For the first time in her memory, Hermione Granger let her emotions control her. This attracted the attention of her most instinctive side that seized the chance and took control of the body and mind while her rational side had her guard down.

A new wave of heat invaded her along with an indescribable feeling that spread trough her body and made her muscles tense up, her pupils dilated, her heart began to beat wildly and the last remains of her coherence vanished when Ron's control over the club began to waver. That the Troll had finally managed to grab Potter by the ankles and was about to use him as a replacement of its weapon to hit the other boy didn't help matters either. Once in total control of the girl, the mind began to work with a different intent, and soon new thoughts began manifesting in the girl's head:

" **.Kill"**

She wanted to act on her instincts, to lunge towards them and show them she was te supreme predator, that she was the alpha there. Wanting tem to know of her presence, she screamed and what began as a shrill sound slowly became a terrifying roar,

-AAAAAAAAARGHHHHHGRRROOOOOOOOOOARRRRR!

By the time the other occupants of the room turned their heads in her direction, she was already charging towards them, with the lower half of the door she had previously crushed in one hand and ready to fight. The Troll couldn't move out of the way fast enough and ended up being hit right in the face so hard the wood broke in pieces that

dug in the beast's skin. Howling in pain, the monster easily took the splinters off its face and began to make its way to the girl with kicks and punches -made by the hand that wasn't holding Harry- while the black haired tried to free his feet from the beasts grip.

The rest of the fight only lasted a couple of minutes, in which the troll managed to get close enough to throw a descending punch to Hermione who, even in her wild state of mind, understood she wasn't fast enough to escape the attack.

The possessed girl extended her arms up in a blocking manner and began to concentrate, trying to control the raw and uncontrollable energy that coursed trough her body and manifested itself in the form of warm air around her small frame. She vaguely noticed that while her efforts in directing some of the energy toward her hands was mildly successful and that the more she managed to conduct to the right direction, the hotter became the air surrounding her. Then the impact came, and her whereabouts ceased to matter, survival making its way to the forefront of her primitive mind.

Harry and Ron watched in awe how the Troll applied more strength and shifted to add more of its weight onto Hermione in an effort to crush her under the pressure while the brunette screamed from the unbearable heat and the physical changes her body

was experimenting in order to endure the onslaught.

The boy's couldn't help but stare at the rapidly growing muscles on the girl's arms and legs, the way her skin hardened more and more and the ever increasing number of cracks the ground beneath witch and beast was presenting. The brunette instinctively knew she had to get the Troll off of her or risk fainting from exhaustion and being smothered to death from the pressure the beast was creating, so she crouched down al low as she could without moving her arms, concentrated some of her energy on her legs and used it to jump upward with all her might. The monster's hand moved all the way with the girl and while the former looked on bewildered, the latter took the chance to lunge back in the air and land out of her attacker's reach.

The little witch ran to the exit when her feet barely touched the ground, narrowly avoiding the gargantuan club that fell after Ron's charm faded, the object too big and heavy to be levitated for long by the wand of a first year, let alone to the distance and height needed to hit the Troll.

The brunette came to a halt in front of Weasley, took hold of the sword's handle and started pulling it out. Bit by bit, the weapon began to give out, but the more she freed the long blade, the more her strength waned. Determined not to lose what she knew was her last chance to defeat the monster, the girl kept tugging even when she felt most of the crazy energy that surrounded her started to disappear. She didn't want to waste the distraction Potter gave her before, or the one Weasley is offering now with his frenetic flight towards the door.

The smelly being realized the boy was trying to escape and, with a few quick strides, caught up with him, jumped ahead to bock his path, clenched its hands together above its head and forced the down –with Potter still hanging by the ankle-towards its victim.

The gravity of the situation was palpable, even for Hermione's wild side. Her whole body tensed, her heartbeat thumped loudly against her now more sensitive ears and her eyes began to see the attack on Weasley in slow motion. Scared and desperate, she made another effort to control her energy and found out it was easier and less painful if she just directed everything to her stomach. Once she believed she had gathered enough, the being let the energy flow through her veins to the rest of her body, trying to ignore the heat and pain that still accompanied the task. The closer al the power got of coming out , the harder directing it became, but this time the girl just continued pushing through despite her hunger, her tiredness, her fear of dying and even her soul-consuming pain until she felt something inside of her break. Something behind her heart faded and suddenly, the pressure that was hindering her was gone, her pain reached a new height, making her fall to her knees and scream:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!-

Her howl began to fade as adrenaline consumed her one more time. A couple heartbeats later she felt better and opened her eyes to take in her surroundings and discovered everyone still moving slowly. Even though she wasn't able to think rationally, she was still a predator and if there was something predators know is when to take advantage of a situation. Determined, she pulled the sword again and this time it came out almost without effort. Without wasting what only for her was a second, she charged towards the Troll as fast as she could and moved the sword towards the beast's hands which were less than four feet away from Ron's head and hoped she could reach them in time.

They were hers to hunt after all.

A/N; I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I'm not going to abandon this story, I just had a particularly hard time translating this. And things get more complicated when you have a five year old brother that's learning to write, practices on every archive he finds and SAVES EVERYTHING! Hope you like this chap I made. Please don't forget to follow and favourite this if you want more soon. You are my reason to keep on writing when I feel like stopping.


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